Jack McCaffery is the lead sports columnist for the Daily Times and delcotimes.com. He has spent several decades covering everything from the Phillies, Eagles, Flyers and Sixers, to college hoops, to high school sports in Delco.

Berube a winner

VOORHEES, N.J. — The Flyers were 0-and-3 when Peter Laviolette was fired. They will lug an 8-10 record into the Wells Fargo Center Thursday, when they will host the Buffalo Sabres.

That means they have gone 8-7 — and, thus, literally have been winners — under Craig Berube.

Small steps …

"It’s great to have a better record since the start of the season and since Chief took over but at the same time we’re still out of the playoff picture right now," Steve Mason said Wednesday, after practice at the Skate Zone. "There’s nothing to be smiling about until we get back there and in a more comfortable position.

"But things are starting to look a little more positive right now. At the same time, there’s still tons of work to be done.’’

There is. But there has been progress … progress that can be measured in the record.

"You always expect it. it takes a while to get the system down," Berube said. "When I took over, I wanted to get the skating up. Right now, I feel and believe our skating is getting to where it needs to be. A lot of that has to do with knowing the system and not thinking so much and just going. There’s always growing pain. It takes time to change things. It’s still going to take time. There is growing pains throughout the year."

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The Flyers have allowed two power play goals in each of their last two games.

Solution?

"Stay out of the penalty box," Berube said. "Look at the penalties the last three games. Just look at that. You can’t take five against the Penguins, can’t take four tripping and holding penalties against Winnipeg, and then seven penalties against Ottawa. They’re going to bite you.

"You can’t take stupid penalties."

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Though it took Sean Couturier 20 games to score his first goal, Matt Read appreciated his various contributions.

"Overall, his hockey IQ is high," Read said. "When he has the puck, he does the right thing 95 percent of the time. He’s solid. He has a heavy stick. In the defensive zone, he wins the majority of the puck battles. I think when he has time and space, he makes the right play. There are a lot of positive things that he does, and it’s something that I have enjoyed playing with him this year and the last couple of years together."

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Among the reasons for the Flyers’ slight resurgence has been the goaltending.

Mason is 3-0-2 in his last five, and has sliced his goals-against average to 2.12, 11th best in the NHL. Ray Emery has won two of his last three.

"It’s nice to hear but at the same time, that’s our job, to make sure we’re that steady force back there," Mason said. "We just have to continue to work hard in practice and make sure that, regardless of who’s in net, we give ourselves the best chance to win. So far it’s gone well. We just have to make sure it continues that way.’’

An Eagles notebook

Sixers spoiling some plans

Sam Hinkie spent Tuesday in Chicago watching Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Julius Randle, in some order or another, in a college basketball doubleheader.

A night later, the Sixers' G.M. might have been wondering why he wasted a trip on a scouting mission for the top three projected players in the next draft.

With a 123-117 overtime victory over the Houston Rockets Wednesday, the Sixers improved to 5-4 ... and in impression fashion, sharing the ball, making key free throws, defending with passion late in the game.

Asked if he was surprised at that record, coach Brett Brown said, "Yes ... I am."

Many would be. According to Las Vegas, the Sixers would not win 17 times this season. They may not. But they only need 12 more wins ... and that doesn't seem an outrageous proposition. Suddenly, they look like anything but a team shooting only for a spot high in the lottery.

"We fight," Thad Young said. "And we fight. And we fight. That's what we do."

Hinkie helped build the Rockets, who should contend this season. He is helping to do the same with the Sixers ... who may contend sooner than later.

Check out my column on the Sixers and their G.M. in the Daily Times Thursday and, as always, on delcotimes.com

An Eagles notebook

PHILADELPHIA --- The first time Eagles
rookie tight end Zach Ertz was ordered to play football somewhere
near Oakland, it wasn't his choice.

Second time? Same thing.

The first was when he was recruited to
play college football, and, he said, his mother, Lisa, made the
decision: He would stay relatively close to his home in Danville,
California.

“I was feeling UCLA,” he said. “She
was feeling Stanford. So it was Stanford. And it was the best
decision she ever made.”

Ertz went to Stanford and played well
enough to become the Eagles' 2013 second-round draft choice, the 35th
player selected overall in the draft. Sunday, because his employer
has it on the schedule, he will return to that region of California
and try to help the Eagles defeat the Raiders.

“It's only about 20 minutes from
where I grew up,” Ertz said Thursday, after practice at the
NovaCare Complex. “But I never went to an NFL game growing up. The
first NFL game I ever saw was when we played in the preseason here,
and then our opening game in Washington. I always thought I was going
to play basketball. I was a big Lakers fan --- a big Kobe Bryant
fan.”

Ertz said “about 20” of his friends
and family, and potentially many more, will be in Oakland Sunday,
cheering for him and the Eagles.

“It won't affect me,” he said. “I
will still prepare for the game the same way I always have.
Obviously, going home, I would like to make some big plays out there.
It would be a lot of fun, for me especially.”

Ertz has played in all eight Eagles
games, and has had at least one pass reception in each. But in the
17-3 loss to the Giants last week, he had just one catch for five
yards.

“I feel very comfortable,” he said.
“I've had some opportunities to make some plays. I think I've made
the plays when I've had my number called. Hopefully, that number
continues to go up for the last eight games of this season, whether
it is blocking or in the passing game, wherever they need me.”

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After surrendering 52 points in Denver
Sept. 29, the Eagles have not allowed more than 21 points in a game.
In their last two games, they have held opponents to 17 points of
fewer.

Simple explanation: Better tackling.

“We work it every day in practice,”
Nate Allen said. “Even in our team periods and seven-on-seven, we
work on balance, and setting up like we are going to make a tackle.
That definitely pays off on Sunday.”

That issue percolated during training
camp when Chip Kelly chose not to order tackling practice --- or at
least to keep it to what was thought to be an historic minimum.

“There's only 14 padded practices
total during the entire season,” Kelly said Thursday, citing the
players' bargaining agreement. “But I think we can do a good job
fundamentally. You're not taking people to the ground, but I still
think you can practice your approach --- long strike, short strike,
stagger strike, all that stuff, without taking guys to the ground. I
think it's what you emphasize every day in practice.

“One of the things we want to pride
ourselves on is being a good fundamental football team. And the only
way you can be a good fundamental football team is to practice the
fundamentals.”

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The Eagles' revived tackling will be
put to a test Sunday in Oakland, where quarterback Terrelle Pryor has
rushed for 391 yards in six games, a 7.4-yard average.

“He's a heck of an athlete,” Allen
said. “It speaks for itself. He can make guys miss. He's got a nice
stiff-arm when he gets out of the pocket and starts running. Yeah,
he's a big guy. We've just got to wrap and get as many people to the
ball as we can. And the main thing I keep saying is, 'Everybody stay
disciplined and do your job in the secondary,' because when he gets
out there, he is looking to go deep. So we have to stay in coverage.”

Linebacker Mychal Kendricks understands
the challenge.

“We are going to do our best,” he
said. “We have some stuff for him. We're going to do our thing.”

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NOTES: The Eagles have a roster spot
open, but Chip Kelly said he is not likely to fill it until the
weekend … Jake Knott (hamstring) did not practice Thursday. DeSean
Jackson (ankle), Michael Vick (hamstring), Donnie Jones (left foot)
and Casey Matthews (hip) were limited in practice. Patrick Chung
(shoulder), Jon Dorenbos (groin), Nick Foles (concussion), Damaris
Johnson (ankle), Jason Peters (shoulder, finger), Chris Polk
(shoulder) and Cedric Thornton (knee) all practiced fully …
Unconcerned with jet lag, Kelly will take the Birds to Oakland
Saturday, not earlier, as is an occasional NFL practice. “It takes
a week to get acclimated,” he said. “So unless we went out a week
ago, it wouldn't matter.”